Review: RENT at Center Stage Theatre

RENT, Jonathan Larson’s long running Pulitzer and multi–Tony Award winning play is a huge endeavor for any regional or small theater to take on, is the current show at the Center Stage Theatre in Shelton. Under the exceptionally skillful direction of Liz Muller, the rock musical, loosely based on Giacomo Puccini’s 1896 opera La Bohème, is an impressive production, especially considering that the entire cast is made of up of extremely talented high school and college students and grads. You won’t believe that they aren’t all seasoned professional performers. That’s how good they are. Most have good acting chops and great voices and they all match the energy that RENT demands.

We are listing the names of all the performers close to the top of this review is to give you an idea of how formidable this show is to produce, especially when working with people who are so young and have different levels of theater training and experience.

This production stars Isabel Sonnabend and Harry Rosenay* alternating as Roger, Ian Rosenay and Jacob Marcus* as Mark, Carlos Perez and Nolan Young* as Tom Collins, Spencer Fiske and Nick Gugliotti* as Benny, Lauren Wienenmann and Alyssa Grosso* as Joanne, Ryan Romero and Jacob Ebert* as Angel, Grace Lupoli and Megan Loaicano* as Mimi, and Ashley Carpp and Macie Cox* as Maureen. (See section on dates towards the end of the review to see when they are performing.)

The rest of the parts are divided into two casts. The Red Cast is comprised of Marlene Ascher (Sue), Lily Banks (Blanket Person, Vendor #2), Zoe Benton (Pam), Sebastian Cordero (Steve), Marissa Dias (Mimi’s mother), Anne Edwards (Homeless Person #3), Kayleigh Fitzpatrick (Homeless Woman #1), Alyssa Grosso (Joanne’s Mother, Homeless Person #2), Daisy Kusnitz (Mark’s mother), Jacob Marcus (Homeless Man), Xavier McNemar (Joanne’s Dad, Cop #2), Isaac Motes (Gordon, Squeegeeman, Walter), Catalina Mozzo (Cop #3), Jessica Nivison (Dance Captain, Roger’s Mother), Kennedy Renz (Ally), Max Roman (Mr. Grey, Pastor), Jack Schafler (Paul, Cop #1), Cora Welsh (Homeless Person #4, The Girl, Alexi Darling), and Nolan Young (The Man).

The Blue Cast is made up of Jimmy Almodovar (Vendor #1), Sarah Bagdasarian (Pam, Cop #3), Joelle Cote (Roger’s mother), Macie Cox (Blanket Person, Vendor #2), Caitlin Curtin (Homeless Woman #1), Lucas Dylan (Homeless Man), Jacob Ebert (Gordon, Waiter), Lucia Fede (Mimi’s mother), Anya Grondalski (Mark’s mother, Homeless Person #2), Nick Gugliotti (Squeegeeman, Steve), Julie Hoff (A girl, Sue), Megan Loiacano (Homeless Person #4, Alexi Darling), Vivienne Maksymiuk (Ally), Michael Primorac (Mr. Grey, Pastor), Harry Rosenay (Joanne’s father, Paul, Cop #2), Sheng Russell-Tang (The Man), Grace Saunders (Homeless Person #3), Luke Wikstrom (Cop #1), and Kaelyn Yancey (Joanne’s mother).

Kudos to John Skufca for terrific choreography, making everyone who dances shine in the show, and to Assistant Directors Sandra Fernandes and Zola Kneeland, Stage Manager Isabel Salazar and Assistant Stage Managers Iziah Barns and Aly Salazar. C.E. Simon and Liz Muller did a fantastic job on the projections, which really enhanced the set. You need such a team if you ever think of staging this musical. The set is mostly scaffolding and the stage floor, and the performers use it well. We hope the lighting is tweaked so that we always see who is singing and that the sound from the musicians is toned down so we can always hear the performers.

When RENT was produced in 1996, it was a different world. Bill Clinton was president and tech was booming. This was a time before people suffered collectively from social media distractions and anything electronic was moving at lightning speed. Larson’s top-heavy book is long and has 25 songs in the first act and 17 musical numbers in the second act. The first act takes place on Christmas Eve in the East Village before Downtown Manhattan became so desirable since the elite made it fashionable. The characters in RENT were struggling artists and marginalized people. In the 1990s, no one even thought about using pronouns to identify people. Now it’s on job applications. Many of the principal characters had HIV/AIDS, which was a huge threat to the artistic community and evoked fear and prejudice to everyone else. It was also during the 1990s that Terrence McNally and Tony Kushner kicked the door open wide with highly acclaimed plays about characters with AIDS or whose family members had AIDS. Today, the incidences of HIV/AIDS keep declining and the disease is not a death sentence, and advanced treatments have made it possible for those infected with the virus to live long, healthy lives.

These points bring up something to think about. How relevant is RENT today? It is no less relevant than its beloved inspiration, La Bohème. Due to the widening wealth gap since the 1980s, poverty and soaring housing costs are still a huge problem for society. The play, unlike Frank Marcus’s black comedy, The Killing of Sister George, was not written to shock people. Today, most people accept others’ lifestyles. Still, it would be nice if the Estate of Jonathan Larson would permit RENT to be adapted for today’s audiences by trimming the first act and perhaps even cutting some of the smaller roles. The first act takes place on Christmas Eve and shortly thereafter. The second act covers the rest of the following year. Tightening the play would make it easier for smaller venues to produce it. Not every theater has a huge stage as does the Center Stage Theatre company. So, yes seeing RENT is still worthwhile.

RENT plays through July 28 only and the show has been selling out fast to audiences from high school to senior citizens. The understudy cast members perform on July 21 at 6:30 p.m. and July 28 at 2:00 p.m. Call (203) 225-6079 for the possibility of getting possible overflow seats. Ticket prices range from $18.00 to $36.00. Center Stage Theatre is located at 54 Grove Street in Shelton Connecticut. www.centerstageshelton.org

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